The goodbye song

Lyrics:

Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.
Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.

It’s time to go,
It’s time to go,
It’s time to go,
See you next time.

Goodbye, goodbye,
See you again.
It’s time to go,
See you next time.

Gestures and activities to use with The goodbye song

These are quite straight forward. First time you play the song do the gestures and encourage everyone to do them with you.

• Wave as you sing the “Goodbye, goodbye” parts.
• Hold your hand above your eyes (as you would when you are looking into the distance and keeping the sun out of your eyes) and look at another student as you sing, “See you again”.
• Tap watch (or imaginary watch) and then point to the door as you sing, “It’s time to go”.
• Point towards another student as you sing, “See you next time”.

Using The goodbye song in class

Use the song each lesson as the wrap up to the class.  Here is a suggested wrap up routine which you can use at the end of your young learners’ classes:

1. Assign homework: Each week give out a homework worksheet for your students to take home. Hold up the homework worksheet and model how to do it. Give out the worksheets and say, “Put your homework in your bags” and help them to do so – this is important as they will probably want to start coloring them right away.
   Note: If possible, encourage the parents to help out as much as possible with their child’s homework – it is a great way to have your students practice the target language outside of class.
2. Say goodbye to glove puppet: Take out the bag again and get everyone to wake up the glove puppet by shouting its name into the bag (e.g. “Cookie Monster!”). Bring out the puppet and go through the same routine as in the warm up – go to each student and say hello, ask their name and the say goodbye / see you. Then put the puppet back in the bag (back to sleep).  After the students get to know The goodbye song the puppet and students can then use some of the target vocab when saying goodbye (e.g. See you again, It’s time to go, See you you next time).
3. Sing “The goodbye song” (or a review song): “The goodbye song” is a good way to sign off the class. Sit together in a circle and sing and clap along or use the song gestures.
4. Do “Quick check”: Time to leave the class. Make sure everything is put away and the students have gathered their belongings. Have them line up at the door and place yourself between the door and the students. For each student check one new word (e.g. hold up a color or fruit and ask, “What’s this?”). For very young kids you can hold up one of the worksheets you did in the lesson and ask them to touch an object (e.g. “Touch the apple”). When they give you an answer say goodbye (and say a target phrase, such as “See you next time”) and let them leave.